4 o'clock / markoeun

#24

“okay, but do you think we should tell her?”

“can you not involve me in this? i feel guilty enough just by listening to you, leave me out of this.”

“okay, but don't you think that it's a bit messed up that they want to remove her from the line-up even after she was a trainee for 7 years and introduced as an official member of smrookie?”

“i swear – ”

“okay, but – ”

“listen. here are my thoughts,” he lowered his voice down to a whisper and glanced around to see if anybody was around to listen to them or not. “i mean, she was already involved in a lot of scandals before debut. if this goes out, wouldn't that be bad? debuting with a history like that.. i wouldn't want that.”

“huh, you're right.” he nodded blankly. “uh-huh. debuting with a dark past. not being able to debut after training for a lot of years. that hurts me.”

“damn, that sure does,” a random voice came in, “who are you both talking about, by the way?”

“oh, hi, lami! we were just talking about koeu – ”

“nothing.” he elbowed his friend a little to harshly, forcing a smile. “nothing.”

“come again?” sungkyung glared at them with her arms crossed. the two trainees standing before her were definitely older than her, but that gaze of hers never fail to intimidate them. both boys tried to advert their attention away but failed to do so. “koeun..”

“koeun?” sungkyung's eyes softened and her arms fell to her sides. “what?”

“i heard that.. they were planning to remove her from the line up because of something that happened recently. she was spotted with.. mark..” he rocked on his feet back and forth, feeling bad for sungkyung and koeun. she shouldn't have found out like this. he should've just kept his mouth shut.

“i..” sungkyung turned away. she couldn't get any words out, and her eyes burned. after herin, now koeun as well? she rubbed furiously at her eyes, feeling embarrassed that the two trainees had to see her in this state so suddenly. “i'll.. go. thanks for telling me.” and then she ran off, not turning back.

the two boys watched as her figure disappeared, not being able to mutter a word.

until one of them realized that he messed up, muttering a soft “shit,” under his breathe.

“you messed up, lucas.”

“don't remind me, jungwoo. i already feel bad enough.”